It's not what you know; it's...

...what your alumni relations will provide. Not long after I moved to the city, I posted on the Purdue Alumni Club of Chicago's LinkedIn page saying that I'd just moved to the city, was looking for a job, and requesting any advice people could give me. About a month ago, I received a message from a fellow member of the club asking what it is that I would like to do. After exchanging a few emails, I sent him my resume, and he passed it on to their recruiting team.

A couple weeks later I got a call from one of the recruiters wanting to set up a time to talk to me about the Advertising Coordinator position. A couple days later I proceeding to have the world's shortest interview lasting all of three minutes. I was asked:

Where did I go to school?
What did I major in?
What am I doing now?
Why am I interested in the position/company?
What are my salary requirements?
When could I start?

He said he would forward my information back to the company, and they should contact me by the end of the next week to set up an onsite interview. That was two weeks ago. I emailed the recruiter and haven't heard anything, so my next plan of action is to contact the company and make sure they received my info and I haven't slipped through the cracks. Oh the joys of waiting...

Halftime Magazine articles

Hello all! I'd like to apologize for the ridiculously long hiatus from posting on here. Time flies and all that. Anyway there have been some happenings in the past couple months of my absence. My first two articles for Halftime Magazine have been published, online and in print! This is my first real in print publishing (not counting my research) for my work, so I am super excited about it!

My first article is the magazine's feature article for our September/October issue. You can view it online by clicking here. The article is profiles of the first and second place finishers for DCI Finals in World and Open classes. It was really exciting to get to interview such major names in DCI and discuss their shows and seasons with them.  I got to learn some pretty awesome things about what happened behind the scenes during their summers. It was especially fun to interview the members who were still riding the high of their placings in finals. There was so much excitement and energy in their words that it made my job of capturing the passion of finals quite easy. I got a five page spread (eight if you want to include ad pages) and pictures; not too shabby for my first article.

My second article is a feature for the November/December issue, which just came out a couple weeks ago. The article is Auditioning for Drum Corps; which gives an overview of the general audition camp experience, what to expect, and how to prepare. There is also a sidebar with tips on how to conquer your nerves (something I've struggled with since I first picked up the trumpet). This article proved to be a little more of a challenge for me than the previous one. I was given more creativity with the focus and format of the article. When I was given my word count I had no idea what I was going to say to fill up all that space. In the end I had nearly twice as much as I needed and spent a great deal of time chopping out anything unnecessary to the article. Entire sections were hacked; I don't think I've ever had so much information and so little room. After I finally finished it, the last person I was waiting to respond got back to me, giving me even more information that had to be included. Another word slashing party comenced. However, I'd rather have that issue over not having enough content (I'm always positive I won't when I start writing). I had to do a couple rewrites to get the format my editor wanted, but by the end I was pleased with the result.  I got a four page spread with pictures (six with ads). This one isn't out online yet, but will be next month, so check the Halftime Mag website later.

Finally, the Midwest Clinic Band and Orchestra Conference is here in Chicago next week. I emailed my editor inquiring if we cover the clinic or if it's even in the scope of the magazine. She asked what I had in mind, and I pitched a couple ideas. She responded that both my ideas would make good features, and she'd like me to do a short Noteworthy section as well. So I will go to a couple clinics, send her my notes, and we'll go from there. I'm excited!

Back in the Saddle Again

After a two month hiatus from the job hunt, I have returned to the world of resumes, cover letters, and job search sites. I wield a new and improved resume and a new found pickiness for what I am applying for. Instead of applying for every single position that looks remotely relevant to what I want to do, I am focusing on jobs that I really want. I already have a job that, while is not exactly stimulating, is stable and kind of fun, so I'm not longer in the desperate-I just need a job to survive-period.

I have also shifted my job search focus to mainly Chicago. I am tired of not knowing where I'll be in the next month(s)/year. I want to be able to make plans and buy furniture (I am still sleeping on an air mattress). I'll admit I wasn't thrilled about staying in the Chicago area at first, but I have come to love it here, so I'm planning on sticking around for a while. I'm sure I'll hate myself for it December-March when I'm freezing to death.

So right now I'm in a pretty good place where I'm hoping the right job comes along. However, if it takes some more time, I can live with that too.

We're Number 4!

MSN Money recently put Nordstrom at number 4 on their list of the top ten companies to work for and with in the US. (The link will take you to the article). Nordstrom does the majority of their hiring from within, and knowing there is room for growth gives employees a good reason to stick around. My manager is by far the best manager I've ever worked for. He does little things like bringing bottles of water and a bucket of candy for the workers on the floor during inventory when we were there until around 11 p.m.

The company strives to make the employees feel valued and not just minions running around on the floor, at least they do at our store. Number four is a pretty impressive ranking of all the places there are to work in the US. Go Team Nordstrom! 

Halftime Web Editor

I sat down with the CEO and publisher of Halftime Magazine at DCI Finals Saturday in Indianapolis to further discuss the web editor position I interviewed for a couple weeks ago. We talked a little more about my marching experience, writing experience, the writing samples I sent her, and the magazine in general.

I got the job! I am Halftime Magazine's new Web Editor. I will be writing the DCI Feature story for the September issue (print and online). It's a pretty straight forward piece about the top two corps in World and Open Classes, so I will be writing a profile on each of the four corps and talking to some staff, members, and fans about their experiences relating to their corps.

Currently, the Web Exclusives section of Halftime doesn't really exist. The last time it was updated was last February. I am going to change that. So, if you have any brilliant ideas for stories or things you would like to see in the magazine or at least on the web site, let me know, and I'll see what I can do.

This is a part-time position, so I am working a job and a half and on staff for two other magazines now. Let the madness commence!

JPUR release

My research snapshot in Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research has been published! It is released in print on Friday and apparently was released online two weeks ago (I was never informed). Click on the link to read it! There is a citation under the article! I can be cited!

The snapshot is the abstract for the research I conducted my senior year at Purdue. My advisor and I looked at essays written about Annie Leibovitz's photographs in her collection "Women" in terms of women, careers, and leadership.

My research was selected to be published by the JPUR advisory board last semester. I attended some workshops and a poster session where I presented my research. Then I submitted the final abstract to be included in the second volume of JPUR. I am pretty excited to see it in print as well.

My advisor will be interpreting my findings and publishing a paper of her own on our research later this year. I will be listed as a co-author in that paper, so I will be able to be cited in another academic source! There are so many awesome things you can do with writing, I am so excited to begin this journey.

I can check you out

I have to wonder whose brilliant idea it was to put the phrase "I can check you out" on the back of a shirt to be worn by mostly women in a men's department. Nordstrom has started a new mobile check out system where the sales people on the floor carry iPhones, and customers can come straight to us to pay for their purchases (á l'Apple Store). So far, the system has been really cool and helps keep the lines down at the registers downstairs. I like working mobile; it makes the time go by faster, and I get to talk to people more.

While working mobile, we wear bright green shirts with "I can check you out" across the back. Announcements are made periodically telling people about the new system, and all they have to do is find a person in a green shirt to pay directly on the floor with a credit/debit card.

You can imagine the remarks that are made throughout the day. Most guys my age, if they say anything about it, make a quick stab, grin, and continue on. However, it seems that the older men like to take it a step further, presumably to watch me squirm. I find it odd. Though, for a dollar extra an hour for working mobile, I can definitely tolerate oddness.

I still haven't been trained on register, which is fine with me. I like it better upstairs. I was one of the first sales people to volunteer to be trained on mobile, (I thought way ahead and figured they'd let us wear jeans with the tee shirts we had to wear. Turns out this was a correct assumption.) so I am getting to work it almost everyday.

I get asked several times a day if we have to use our own phones or if Nordstrom gave everyone phones to keep. The store owns the phones, and I'm pretty sure if anyone attempted to walk out with one of the store's iPhones, they would be fired on the spot. I had to sign a contract yesterday that informed me that if I lost the key to the iPhone storage case, I would be terminated immediately. So yeah, I'm not going to lose that key...

Weekend Waiting

I have come to form a love/hate relationship with the weekend. On one hand, I have today off, so not working on a Saturday is nice (especially since I'm sick). On the other hand, I know that I have two long days of waiting for emails ahead of me. I feel foolish as I check my email for the tenth time in a half hour, since no one is going to email me back about jobs or interviews during their weekends. You would think during this long, drawn-out job quest, I would have learned to have patience by now. Instead, I have attempted to employ the technique of distraction and just not thinking about it. (It hasn't worked too well so far.) Every email that shows up in my inbox sends my heart leaping, and then it's usually something from Purdue about tickets for a game/concert/event.

However, I have the fortune of getting three Saturdays off in a row, which is very exciting. Since I said I would work weekends, I pretty much volunteered away any free time I shared with the rest of the working world. Today, the extent of my productivity has been installing our air conditioning units in the apartment. It's pretty nice to have a day with nothing to do.

I am very excited to help work the Halftime Magazine booth at DCI Finals in Indianapolis next Saturday.  For the first time this season, I will not be covering the shows I will be watching, so it will be a different experience than what I've had so far. It will be a little strange not scribbling notes furiously while not wanting to miss anything in the shows. I can't wait to see all of the changes that have been made since that last time I saw the corps. Good luck to all the members, especially age-outs, as they start their final week of the 2012 season.

Halftime Interview!!

Yesterday, at one o'clock in the afternoon, among piles of boxes and mounds of books, I sat on the floor of my mostly empty apartment at Purdue talking to the editor of Halftime Magazine. She asked me to tell her a little about myself. I discussed my musical background and education. She asked what I've been doing since graduation. I told her about writing for DCW and A Beautiful Thing and working at Nordstrom. She asked what one of my favorite articles was or if I have any ideas for articles that could be used in the magazine, (of course I do!) so I told her about those, which she seemed to like.

She gave me three options of positions that might be available for the magazine:

1. Editorial Intern- The original position I applied for. This is an unpaid internship where I would eventually get to write several feature stories for the magazine and learn a lot in the process. While unpaid isn't great, I really need the experience, and I had accepted this going in.

2. Freelance- Freelance work is paid contract work. However, they only use a freelancer about once a year, so I wouldn't get much experience.

3. Part-time- She proposed the idea of a part-time position as their web editor. Currently, her assistant editor is suppose to be doing the web content as part of her job. However, they are both so busy, it hasn't really happened. Halftime's website has an exclusive web section that is suppose to contain articles that are not in the actual magazine. My job would to write articles to be posted online, give synopses of press releases, and post interesting articles online. Because the magazine doesn't have the funds to take on another salary yet, the position would start unpaid. Hopefully, eventually, it would turn into a paid position.

I chose to pursue option three. I am really interested in web work and using online media in a business setting. She felt badly about proposing an unpaid position because I've graduated, but I'm excited for the experience. She asked me to email her the articles I wrote for Drum Corps World, then she's going to call me to discuss the job further.

She ended the interview by asking me if I was a magazine, what would the title be and why. Titles are not my strong point, especially not on the spot. I went with Written Musically.

Too Late

Three hours after my interview was supposed to take place yesterday, I received an email from the company stating that the interview time I had selected had already been filled. That would have been nice to know three days earlier when I picked that time. They asked if I would be able to do the interview today instead. I work today, so I couldn't (tis why I chose Monday). I emailed them back immediately explaining this and got an automated message back saying she would be out of the office until today. Interesting that I got this message only a minute after she emailed me and in the middle of the day. I haven't heard anything else back yet. At the moment I don't know if it's even worth trying to set up another interview.

Call Me Maybe?

I am currently hanging out, waiting for my phone to ring for my interview, wondering if this thing is actually going to happen. As more time goes by, I am leaning towards probably not. This is a first. I can't say I've ever had a company just not call me. What do I do now? Do I email them and try to set up another time? Not that they've emailed me back about this interview either. Do I even want to work for a place whose communication is this poor? (Maybe that's why they need to hire me.) Maybe I'll get an email later explaining why they were not able to call. That has happened before; except it was sent at the time of the call, which was more convenient. 

I think I'm going to give them fifteen minute before I continue with my day. It was only supposed to be a half hour interview, so that's halfway through the time it was suppose to last. I've checked and double checked the time change. I know Atlanta is an hour ahead of us, so a 10:30 interview puts me at 9:30, which is now fifteen minutes ago. Guess I'm not having an interview today. Strange.

Phantom Interview

I still have not received a confirmation email for my phone interview tomorrow morning. I'm assuming the time I chose works, and I'll get a call tomorrow. Usually I use Glassdoor.com to look at companies; however, I can't find anything on this company, which is a little disconcerting to me. I'm still not completely sure what the place actually does or what I would be doing for them. I guess I'll find out that stuff tomorrow, as their website isn't much help. I can't really find any reviews online either, which I always look at before an interview. I can't help but feel like I am going into this blind. I don't like feeling unprepared, so we'll just have to see how this goes.

I Want You to Want Me...I Think

I've been working at Nordstrom for about two weeks now, and I'm getting into the flow of things. Today I sold four $700+ suits to one guy! I should get commission for that kind of work. So far I am enjoying the job (and the discount). I've found that time goes by pretty quickly most of the time, so that makes me happy. I am grateful to have my job, but there is still a part of me that wishes I could do something in my field.

When I got home from work today, I found an email waiting for me from a company I applied with on June 18th. They want to have a half hour phone interview with me on Monday or Tuesday. The company is based in Atlanta. While I love Chicago, and I am having fun living here, I have not been able to shake the desire to move to Atlanta and experience somewhere completely new. I have to say this interview has come as a shock since I've taken a break from applying for the time being. I decided I wanted to get settled and start my Nordstrom job and give it a chance before I continued the job hunt.

I emailed the company back to set up a time for the interview. I figured there's no harm in at least interviewing for the job. There's definitely no guarantee they'll even offer it to me, so I'm trying not to put the cart before the horse in this situation and relax. I guess we'll see how this goes.

I'm Still Alive!

No, I did not die! Nor have I forgotten about my little blog here. This week has been crazy. First thing first, I have an apartment at last! We are only two blocks from Wrigley Field and a few from the L (train), making it, in my opinion, the greatest location ever. Even though we are so close to the stadium, it's pretty quiet on our street. As a White Sox fan, it is fun to sit and watch the fans of those lovable losers enjoy umm..losing? The people around here are by far the happiest people I've ever seen coming out of a stadium after their team was just slaughtered. It's more of a social event than a real competition to most people it seems.

Yesterday I spent the day cleaning the apartment. It was rather disgusting. I'm not sure how I always manage to find the dirtiest apartments to move into. The weekend was spent packing up my stuff at Purdue and driving it to Chicago, then unpacking it here. I'll make the five hour round trip again next week to get the rest of my stuff from school. Then I will only have belongings in Chicago and at my mom's house. I'm condensing my spread.

Our air conditioning units are being installed in the apartment tomorrow, which is quite exciting. The apartment is still quite sparse. I sadly realized walking home from work that our neighbors have more furniture on their front porch than we do in the entire apartment. ha I am currently sleeping on an air mattress in my room; which is far better than just sleeping on the floor like I was last week. I spent an entire summer on an air mattress last summer, so I'm content for the time being. No more 2 hour commute in and out of the city each day makes for a lot more free time to have a bit of a life.

Whilst trying to decide what I wanted for dinner, I found that 462 restaurants would deliver to me. Honestly, how can you get any better than that?

Wrigleyhome?

After work yesterday, my roommate and I went to Wrigleyville/Lakeview to look at another apartment. The apartment was a block away from Wrigley Field! (!) which was really exciting to us. There are bars and pretty much any restaurant we'd want within a couple blocks. Our favorite bar is a mere three blocks away. yay! The red line is just two blocks from the apt, so not a bad walk at all, especially in the snow. (bleh)

The apartment was by far the best we have seen so far. It was very small, however. The bedrooms were described as large and medium. I would hate to see their idea of small. The room that would be mine was a glorified closet. However, the living room/dining room spaces were nice, and there was a back yard with a deck for grilling.

We are really trying for the Lakeview area. It has a walkscore of 97, so it's a really safe place to live, which is a definite priority for me since I won't bet getting home from work until 10pm when I close.

My roommate is viewing another apartment in the same area tonight, and we hopefully have another one tomorrow too. Things are staring to look up! Only issue now is how am I, a Sox fan, going to survive in the land of the Cubs...

First Day

Yesterday was my first day of work! It went really, really well. My manager and co-workers are all really nice. I couldn't believe how quickly time went by. I worked six hours, and it felt like I was there for two. I've found I really like working in the men's department, as when guys need help they tend to look completely lost. ha It makes it easy to pick out who needs help. A lot of the time it was a guy wondering around with a dress shirt looking at ties with a look of distress on his face. I am going to become an expert tie-picker-outer pretty soon I think.

When I was hired on I was told I would get about 30-35 hours, and eventually they would increase. My manager gave me my schedule at the end of my shift yesterday, and I am working a full 40 hours this week! yay!! Today is my day off. I work Wed-Sat learning how to open and close. It's great to work for a place that actually trains you and insures you understand what you are doing rather than just throwing you to the lions and yelling at you (erm McDonalds). We had someone call off yesterday, so instead of just shadowing like I was suppose to, I was actually put to work on the floor, which I liked. I worked the fitting room, organized ties and dress shirts, and helped people who needed assistance.

It's pretty fast paced, which I love. There isn't really any standing around with nothing to do, so that made time go by really quickly. Plus, I get to talk to people as part of my job, so I thoroughly enjoy that part. Most people seem pretty happy to tell you why they are buying their clothes, what the new dress shirt is for, how their day is going. In just a day, I have met a lot of interesting people.

Tomorrow I close, so I will learn what that entails, cleaning the store and getting it ready for the next day. I'm trying to stay out of the women's department/shoes/accessories so I won't spend my paycheck before I get it. ha I was afraid to open my mouth while we were in the stock room yesterday in case I started drooling. I'm quite excited to get back to work tomorrow, especially since I'm closing I can get up at a normal hour. I was up at 5am and in bed my 9pm yesterday. I fear I'm getting old.

Apartment Hunting

The Great Apartment Hunt has begun and there is one word to describe it, depressing. We've seen five apartments in two days.

The first apartment waaayyyy north, I feared for my life, and it was raining so hard we had to practically swim there.

Second one was also way north, too far north (about an hour) from the loop and about two blocks from sketchiness.

Third one was an okay place in an okay neighborhood, not great.

Fourth was the same, ok place, okish neighborhood. I don't think my knowledge of English or French is going to help me there.

Fifth was absolutely gorgeous and way out of our price range.

We then just walked around and got information off For Rent signs on buildings. We'll start calling those tomorrow. (After my first day of work!) We inquired about a lot of places Friday night, so hopefully we will hear back from some of them tomorrow.

Kalamazoo Heat DCW is out!

The latest newsletter edition of Drum Corps World came out today! Click on the link to get there. My article is on page 24. This newsletter covers shows from July 3rd to July 9th.

This has been a very exciting years for DCW. According to my publisher, we have only not covered five DCA/DCI events this entire season so far, which is the greatest amount of coverage the magazine has ever had. We are covering so many shows that our publisher has had to add these supplementary newsletters in addition to our full issues. The last issue released last week was over 100 pages. A year ago, DCW had a circulation of about 6,000; now we are nearing 30,000. I love being a part of this publication!

The Great Apartment Hunt of 2012

My roommate and I have commenced on The Great Apartment Hunt of 2012 in Chicago. After using many different apartment search websites, I have settled on hotpads.com as my site of choice.

I don't understand why people don't post pictures of their apartments. Why should I believe your written description of a place? Just because you say it's a castle in the middle of the city, doesn't make it true. I don't want to waste my time going to look at a place that you were too embarrassed to even put pictures up. People who put up floors plans or dimensions are the best.

Hotpads.com has a cool "street view" application where you can look at a 360 of the view of the neighborhood around the apartment. When a matter of a block could be the difference between college housing and the projects, it's important to know exactly where the apt is. I have found that using the street view then looking at the cars parked on the street is really helpful. If there is a BMW parked on the street, I figure we're probably ok. If all the hubcaps are missing from the cars, should probably avoid that area.

I will be in the city Thursday and Friday and will try to see as many units as I can during that time. We are hoping to move-in as soon as possible since I start work Monday, and my roommate is already past sick of the commute. I would prefer using my money towards rent rather than train tickets.

So far I've request information about eight apartments and have received responses from three. Good odds? I should probably be getting back to the hunt. Onward!

What Options?

I just finished writing my next article for Drum Corps World. It should be in the next newsletter to be released on Friday July 13th. I had more trouble writing this one than the others for some reason. Probably because I have seen some of the corps four times now, and it's getting harder to say something new about the shows that haven't changed much. I did get to see the Madison Scouts for the first time. They were absolutely amazing.

Nordstrom sent me my paperwork to be completed before my first day of work (a week from today). I'm struggling with what to do about my living situation at the moment. I am still applying for other jobs in my field, so I don't necessarily want to sign a lease limiting me to one place for the next year. However, after some calculations it looks like commuting will cost almost as much as paying rent in the city would, plus a four hour commute each day. The more time I spend commuting, the less time I will have outside of work to work on my writing jobs, which are so important to me. Keeping my options open, as I feared, is getting harder and harder as time goes by.

I got a job!!!

I got the job at Nordstrom Rack today!! I went into my interview at 11 am in the State Street store. It lasted about an hour. During that time I had three interviews and two walk throughs. I originally came in to interview for a position in the shoe dept. I met the shoe dept manager and interviewed with him. We then did a walk through of the store, focusing on the shoe department. After that he went to get the store manager so I could meet her. Instead the manager of the men's dept came in to interview me, so I interviewed for that as well. Finally, the store manager came in and talked to me in a less formal interview manner.

They asked a lot of standard questions:
Why here?
What's your greatest work related accomplishment?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
What skills do you offer than can better our company?
Describe a situation where you...

Stuff like that, three interviews I'm not going to try to list them all. After I finished talking to the store manager, the men's manager took me on a walk through in the men's dept. He explained the basics of what happens, where things go, that kind of stuff. I was asked if I had any preference in what department I worked in, I didn't. I just want a job.

The shoe dept was only hiring part-time. The men's dept was hiring full-time and part-time. They said it was possible I could be hired part-time and eventually work up to full after people start going back to school and such. I could also work part in shoes and part in men's making me full-time. They said they would be in touch with me within the week, but they hoped it wouldn't take long. However, they were interviewing other people, so it would take time.

About an hour later the manager of the men's dept called me and said he was so impressed with my interview that he wanted to offer me a full-time position with his dept! Yay! I will start on Monday, July 16th. I'll start at 30-35 hours a week and increase as I get trained and people start leaving for school. I will be working the fitting room, stocking, inventory, customer service, ect.

They stressed throughout my interviews how Nordstrom usually hires/promotes internally and with the rate they are growing there will be room for growth quickly. They said this job could be a stepping stone to eventually working on the Nordstrom marketing team, which would be amazing!

Funny story, I was hired and rejected by the same company on the same day. About ten minutes after I accepted the job, I got an email from a different Nordstrom store telling me they were going to interview different candidates. I found this rather amusing.

Finally, I have a job where I get paid! I will hopefully be moving into Chicago as soon as possible. I just have to get the whole housing situation figured out. That's all I have for now, more details to come I'm sure. Now I'm off to celebrate!

DCW #2

The July issue of Drum Corps World has just been released! My article is on pages 38-41. There are eight pictures with my article, which is pretty cool! Because this is a full issue and not just a newsletter, you will have to go to www.drumcorpsworld.com to see the magazine.

I will cover my third show this weekend, so that article will be in the next newsletter.

My interview in Chicago is tomorrow, so I'm getting ready for that today. We're suppose to set record high temperatures in the city tomorrow, so that should be toasty. I'm a little nervous since I haven't interviewed for a retail position in years. I'm not sure what they are going to ask, so it's hard to feel prepared.

5 Minute Phone Interview

I just finished my phone interview with Nordstrom Rack in Chicago. I have an onsite interview this Friday!! The phone interview lasted a whopping 5 minutes and one minute of hold while she scheduled a time for my next interview.

Questions asked:
Why do I want to work at Nordstrom?
Do I shop at Nordstrom?
Why the shoe department?
Why would you work well with customers?
Tell me a time when you had to use customer service skills.
Tell me a time when you had to manage multiple tasks at the same time.
Nordstrom is a diverse workplace. When is a time you dealt with diversity?
When are you available? (all the time, I have no life ha)

Friday I have an interview with the Shoe Dept manager. Looks like I'll need to get a hair cut before then. yay :)

DCW Kalamazoo

I just received a new assignment for Drum Corps World! I will be covering DCI Kalamazoo in Kalamazoo (surprise!) Michigan. The competition is at Western Michigan University. I've never been there, so I'm pretty excited to see the campus. DCW originally had someone else covering it, but they never got back to my editor, so he gave me the assignment. yay! I'm excited to finally get to see the Scouts after the disappointing rainout in Merrillville last week. Of course, my Blue Stars will be there too! This will also continue to boost my resume. I'd like to get as many articles published as I can before my interview with Halftime, so I can show that I have a solid foundation writing for nonacademic publications.

Also, more exciting news, I just found out one of my friends from school is going to be at the show Saturday, so I am quite excited to see him as well. This Monday isn't turning out too badly.

Blockage

My second article for Drum Corps World has just been sent in! Yay! The next issue should be released later this week. The article had a rough start, but I think it turned into a decent piece. I always start writing early in case I get into one of those weird funks where I just can't seem to write anything decent. That happened to me yesterday. I sat down to write three different times, and although I pretty much knew what I wanted to say and had a notebook full of notes from the show, the words just would not come. At that point I know if I try to force it, all I am going to end up with is garbage. So, I went to sleep and woke up this morning ready to write.

Even in school I'd always found that allowing myself at least a week to write a major paper was always the best route. I never understood my roommate who would start a paper hours before it was due. Working under pressure isn't always a bad thing, but when you're down to the wire there's no time for edits. I like being able to walk away from what I've written and come back later with fresh eyes to be able to really evaluate my work. But, hey, whatever works I guess.

Tomorrow I have my phone interview with Nordstrom Rack. Bad news, I have a sinus infection that's doing strange things to my voice. It seems today will be a day full of tea and sinus meds in hopes that I can sound somewhat normal tomorrow. Wish me luck...

Halftime!

I have an interview for the editorial internship with Halftime Magazine!!  Because they are under deadline right now, the interview won't be until mid-July. I should get an email in a week or two to set up the date and time.

Halftime is based in Cincinnati. The internship is mostly work from home with occasional onsite meetings and events. I would give me experience writing, editing, and managing their social media. I would be able to continue working with and writing about music and marching.  So keep your fingers crossed!

Now I should really start writing my article about the show last night, which was amazing. The next issue of Drum Corps World should be out later this week.

Rained Out

Unfortunately the show was rained out last night. Only one corps took the field, so I won't be writing an article about it. It'd be a pretty short review. ha The heat index was 111 when the show started, then BOOM rain and hail. Guess I didn't have to worry about what I was going to write for this one after all. Everyone hates a rainout. All the corps worked through the heat yesterday to be confined to the busses for an hour an a half until the admins decided the show couldn't happen. The rain finally let up about two hours after the show was suppose to start, so I was able to go see my friends while they ate their fourth meal. This show was the first ever hosted by Merrillville High School, and I know they were very excited to be working with the Madison Scouts. I hope they can get another show there next year.

I have another show to cover tomorrow night. I'm probably going to a show just to watch tonight, so I will see all the corps that will be there tomorrow tonight and be able to have an idea of what I'm going to write about them.

I received an email from Halftime Magazine yesterday. My resume and writing samples have been forwarded to the editor. I hope that means good things. Just waiting to hear now.

Originality in Drum Corps World

I am covering my second show for Drum Corps World tonight. The second newsletter of this season came out today, so I read through the reviews of the other shows since the last one I covered. The issue is each person seems to write very similar things about each show since the same show is performed every competition. I will be able to make remarks on what has changed since the last time I saw the the shows, but doing a full recap seems like it would be rather useless. I'm trying to figure out what I can do to bring some originality to my article. I have found other people do not include interviews in their articles, however. I plan on interviewing two people tonight, so maybe that should be the bulk of my story. I just don't want to repeat what has already been written and bore the readers.

eLance- Hired!

Someone commented on one of my posts suggesting I use eLance to bid on freelance writing jobs, so today I created a profile on the website.

Here's how it works:
Someone posts work they would like to have done, then writers, or whatever your trade is, put bids in on the jobs. To bid, I write a few lines about myself and my experience, say how much I'm willing to work for, either per job or hourly, and the amount of hours I can commit.

I put bids in on two or three jobs today. When I got home from dinner, I had an email waiting informing me that I was selected out of nine bids for a writing job! I think it probably helped that I was willing to work for a little less than the average since I don't have a ton of experience yet. I also have quite a bit of time on my hands. I will complete three assignments at a fixed rate, then I will be evaluated to see if they would like to work with me long term. I'm so excited!

Writing Sample Conundrum

I applied for an editorial internship with Halftime Magazine today. Halftime is a bi-monthly marching magazine that covers high school, college, drum corps, indoor percussion, and winter guard. It would give me more experience writing about music and marching as well as introduce me to the inner workings of magazine publishing.

I have been given conflicting advice from different sources about writing samples when applying for magazines. A couple people suggested that I write sample articles that could be used in their magazine, so I can show that I will be able to write for their publications on the topics and in the style they are looking for. On the other hand, someone else was wary of this idea in case the magazine takes my article and runs it without my permission. I am not really sure what to do. I have published writing samples I have been using, and now that I am building my portfolio with my current writing jobs I have a wider variety to choose from. Would it really be worth my time to write articles for potential jobs? Should I send in articles I have already done? Should I do a combination? You'd think after 226 applications I'd be a master at this. However, I've found applying for writing jobs is quite different than applying for other positions.

A Beautiful Success!

I got the Christian writing job! I will receive a packet within the next two weeks that outlines the basic design of the magazine, layout, and timeline I'll be working with. I don't know much more past that at the moment. He didn't comment on my article sample at all, so I'm going to assume that it was ok since I got the position. I'm not sure if the article is going to be used in the first issue of the magazine or not, but here's hoping. This will also help build my portfolio. With the combination of the work I did at the Purdue Press, my research at Purdue, Drum Corps World, and now A Beautiful Thing, I will be able to show prospective employers that I am able to write about a wide range of topics and in different styles.

When It Rains It Pours

I have a phone interview for a full-time position at Nordstrom Rack in shoes in Chicago early next week! No, this isn't going to enhance my resume too much in relation to what I really want to do. However, it would be a paycheck (and a discount!).  I can continue working my freelance positions on the side and keep learning and getting my name out there. Also, I feel like being in the city, working with people, will help me build connections which could be used to secure another job in the future. Plus, I mean, I love shoes. You can't really go wrong there.

I sent in my sample article to the online magazine as well. I am waiting to hear back.

A Beautiful Thing

I have been offered a freelance writing position with an upstart Christian magazine. The great thing is they are working on their first issue, so I will be there from the very beginning. The unfortunate part is it's unpaid for now. Because they're launching the first issue, there is no client base, and therefore no subscription list and very little money. They currently don't sell advertising, so the publication is funded internally. If I were to write a feature article, I would be paid for the rights to that article for three months. Anything else, I retain the rights but am not paid for. However, eventually they should get a subscribers list and move from online base into print and be able to pay the writers. yay!

The magazine is for women ages 21-40. I have to write a sample article on the first issue's theme and send it in to be considered for publication. So, it looks like I will be writing an article today! Right now, while I'm still looking for a full-time job, this will give me more experience and exposure. Fingers crossed that someday someone is going to pay me for my work. It'll make buying food a lot easier. ha

Drum Corps World Article Goes Live!

My article is up!!! You can click the link and that will take you to it. Interesting title they put with it. ha I'm so excited! I didn't even get the email that it was released. I got a text congratulating me on a good article. Wait what? I haven't even seen it yet! But there it is! yay

Published!

I received two exciting emails today!

1. My DCW (Drum Corps World) article is being sent out today! Yay!! I'm going to be published!
and
2. I received the proof for my research article that is going to be published in the Fall issue of the Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research (JPUR).

I worked as a student researcher my senior year at Purdue. Our study looked at how young women view images, careers, and leadership qualities in relation to women. I conducted literature reviews on keywords used in the essays. I coded fifty-five essays written in response to images of women for key terms related to our research. I then converted the essays into Excel spreadsheets in order to understand why certain images were chosen or not. The full abstract will be published in JPUR if you're interested. I found it really interesting. I will also be included as a co-author in the final publication when it is released.

I'm pretty excited to be getting my name out there into the world in different areas. I was also contacted last night by my corps, the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps, to do some writing for them. I will be writing a letter on their behalf to a company that supplies the majority of the food used on our food truck as part of a contest. I am quite excited to be able to use my skills to support an organization that means so much to me.

Drum Corps World Gig

I had my first official writing assignment for Drum Corps World last night! I've worked in journalism before and never really loved it. However, I've decided if I could get a job covering music events such as DCI as an actual job, I'd be the happiest person ever. Getting to cover shows of the organization that is such a huge part of my life is such an honor. It was fun going back to see my friends who are still marching too. Drum corps is such an amazing networking opportunity on top of the physical and mental aspects. I have made friends all over the country through DCI and made some exciting business connections too. So back to the point, it is so amazing to have the opportunity to interview people who have had such a major impact on my life and the organization as a whole. Although, it's always a little nerve wracking at the same time. Since I don't have the experience to be able to teach corps like a lot of people my age who can no longer march, getting to write about the activity is the greatest thing I can think of, honestly. Paid or unpaid, I would not trade this gig for anything.

I thought my article was going to be a little blurb in the magazine giving a basic overview of the show. My supposed blurb is actually a full article with pictures! I wrote my article this morning using the large quantity of notes (I probably take too many) I took at the show last night. The document was turned in a couple hours ago and should be released tomorrow! It will be emailed out as long as you signed up for your free subscription to Drum Corps World Magazine. If you haven't, you should probably get on that!

(Dis)Qualified

I just got a rejection email from a department store for a part-time position at a perfume counter. Really? It appears I am now over qualified for such a position. Yet, I cannot seem to get a position I AM qualified for.  I am in a predicament. I'm told that places like that are going to be weary of hiring me because they will know I will keep looking for a full-time "real" job even if I get that one. For some reason I had this crazy idea that finding a filler job was going to be way easier than the real job hunt. Apparently, not as easy as I thought.

Do I settle and just ask for minimum wage?
Do I ask for a little more because of my education?

I'm not completely sure how I should be playing these apps. Honestly, it feels a little weird thinking that I am qualified for a real job. Six months ago I was a college senior without a degree and therefore unqualified for most positions. Now, because I walked across a stage and received a piece of paper, I apparently know enough to hold my own in the real world. What's the difference in me between those months? I don't feel any different. I'm pretty sure I didn't have an epiphany about the English language or how to write it when handed my diploma. I suppose it's like when you turn 21 and can finally go into a liquor store. Just a day older than yesterday, but now capable of doing so much more.

I've found looking back on the past month, from graduation to now, that I have learned so much about my field through applying places. If I don't know a skill or term they ask for, I look it up. I research everything about a place before the interview. If they want experience with Google Analytics, I started using it yesterday, and I will know the program. I guess you can't expect to learn everything in school. Especially when I have to take a bunch of crap I'll never have to use again, like Introduction to Meteorology, yeah English major...I'll use that...thanks. However, you continue learning and growing on your own. I obviously still have a lot to learn.

1 in 442

Today, a job board was excited to tell me that I was the 442nd person to apply for that job! Four hundred and forty-two. It wasn't even a very exciting job in my opinion. Are there really 442 people who are just like me, sitting on their couches refreshing job screens every five minutes? How do I make myself stand out in the sea of resumes and cover letters? I've used the skills taught in my design classes to make my resume original, so it stands out against all the template resumes. But that will only take me so far.

I am very much a believer that, even if 442 other people have applied as well, you'll never get the job if you don't apply. Might as well have a 1 in 400 chance rather than disqualifying myself and having a zero percent chance, right?

Any advice?

Unpaid and Not Complaining

Working for free doesn't mean you won't get anything out of the deal. In a market that is so driven by experience, it's important to get it anyway you can. I have my first real job assignment tomorrow (!) writing for Drum Corps World, a free online magazine. I have a very official looking press badge which gives me free admission into the several DCI (Drum Corps International) shows I will be covering as a staff writer. No, I do not get paid for my articles, but I get free admission, (saving me at least $20 a show) and I will be  published and appear under the staff section of the magazine. This experience will look great on my resume and help build my professional portfolio. As a DCI alumnus, I am really excited to be able to combine my love of marching and passion for writing with this unique experience. I mean sure, working for free isn't the dream, but hopefully these baby step will lead to something bigger and better in the future. At least my name will be out there.

If you'd like to read my articles, you can get a free subscription to Drum Corps World by clicking on the link. The first volume of the 2012 season will be out early next week and will be emailed to you. I will be covering three shows in the next week. 

My 15 Minutes of...Interview?

TeacherLisa thought it would be interesting to hear about my 15 minute interview in Marietta, so here we go. The interview was originally going to be a phone interview. However, when the day came, the girl I was going to interview with was called into a meeting. She suggested we try again later in the week. I had already planned on being in Atlanta visiting some friends at that time. I told her this, and she seemed very excited that we could have a face to fee interview. My very first! 

Fast forward a few days, 432 miles, and a 1.5 hour plane ride. Interview time! My friend drove me to my interview which from the outside of the building looked like it was going to take place in a warehouse. I went inside and the office was gorgeous! Not bad for a barn looking building. I arrived ten minutes early, because early is on time, right? I was offered water and sat in the reception area for what seemed like an eternity trying to keep my nerves in check.

Interview time! I was lead back into her office. She wasn't a whole lot older than me which was nice. She started by asking if I had any family in the area. Nope-I come in search of warmer pastures (of course stated a little more eloquently). My best friends live in the area and love it. She then asked me to tell her something about me that wasn't on my resume. I described a little about myself, what I like to do (read, play the trumpet) yadda yadda. What is your experience with social media? What is your favorite brand/company that uses Pinterest or Twitter well?

She then went on to describe the job and the company. What I would be doing, what she did in the position last year. She asked if I had any questions. Being that it was 15 minutes into the interview, I told her I didn't have any questions yet. Then she stood up, shook my hand, thanked me for coming in, and started walking me to the door. WAIT WHAT!? It's over? No. So I started scrambling to regroup. I'm very excited about the position. It sounds like a great company. And it was over. 

I flew three hours round trip for 15 minutes... My friend had driven to the gas station to pick up some drinks and had just returned. The look of confusion on his face mirrored my own. "You're done?" Yep, guess so. I had no idea what so short an interview meant.

In order to keep my name in the conversation and just being polite, I went to the store and bought some Thank You notes. The thank you note was in the mail the next day. The same day I got an email telling me I'd made it to the second round of the interview process. Next I would have a writing test. Yay! Writing tests are my jam. I responded with my writing samples the next day and sat back to wait...and wait...

So there you have it, my minuscule interview. 

Tips 'n Tricks

I've picked up some applying/interview tricks over the course of this process that have helped me better manage my time and energy. I will list them, because I have an affinity for lists.

1. When you're looking at a job on a job site board, don't just read the job description posting, go to the company's website. This will give you a better feel for the company, what they do, and give you some background material for a cover letter and interview. I've had recruiters tell me they've interviewed people who didn't know what the company really was or what they do...probably not going to make a great impression there.

2. After you've checked out the company's website, since they can write anything about themselves, I've found it's helpful to read some reviews. My favorite site for this is www.Glassdoor.com. Glassdoor gives an overview of the company, salary ranges, employee reviews, and sometimes some questions they've asked in past interviews. This will help you weed out the door-to-door and telemarketing jobs (if that's not what you're looking for). Therefore, saving you the time and energy of applying for something you don't really want. The salary component can help you see what that company is paying and also compare it to similar positions in different cities. I've found this to be helpful since I'm just starting out and don't really know what I should ask for salary-wise, and it helps give prospective to different cities costs of living.

3. We live in the age of the Internet, use it to your advantage! Through sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, I have found the pages of the people for which I am going to be interviewing. This allows me to know a little about them before I talk to them. You may find out you have a similar interest which, at least to me, makes them feel more real and approachable, which helps calm my nerves before/in the interview. You can be sure they are looking up you too, so if the information is out there, might as well use it.

4. Networking sites, such as LinkedIn, have job boards. I use LinkedIn most, so I'll discuss that one. You can apply for a job using your account. All you have to do is upload your resume and cover letter and LinkedIn automatically adds your profile with all of your information you supply there. LinkedIn (let's see how many times I can say that in one paragraph) also sends you an email when your application has been viewed so you don't have to sit around wondering if your application has actually gone somewhere or if it's just floating around somewhere in cyberspace.

5. Organization- I have a separate folder in my email designated for job emails. Every time I get a confirmation email about a job, I stick it in the folder. This allows me to keep track of how many jobs I've applied for and helps remind me of the jobs for which I have already applied. (When I started getting into the 100s of applications, I started to forget which ones I'd submitted already. No point sending out the same thing twice.

I'm sure there are a lot of other great ideas that help the process. If you have any feel free to share. Lord knows I need all the help I can get. :p

Background

I'll catch you up on the basic highlights of my search so far. I have interviewed for four jobs.

1. Digital Marketing Analyst- Houston, TX
I had two or three phone interviews for this one. I would have used Google Analytics to track the traffic to their clients' websites. Lots of number, which are not my forte. I wasn't too upset when they decided I was too creative and not analytical enough for the position.

2. Marketing- Chicago, IL
False start. I applied for a job recommended to me by my school's career site. Turns out the place was a scam. Everyone that applied got an interview and most were hired. Turnover rate was very high as it was door to door sales. Not my idea of fun, or safe. No thanks, cancelled the interview.

3. Marketing Intern- Atlanta, GA
I had a phone interview and a writing test for a Marketing firm in Atlanta. The interview went really well, and I was really, really excited about the job. However, the person I interviewed with left the company, and I couldn't get in touch with anyone else, so no job for me.

4. Marketing Associate- Marietta, GA
My first on site interview!! I was in Atlanta for a week and scheduled an on site interview with a publishing company in Marietta. I was very excited about the job. The interview lasted a whopping 15 minutes...a good sign? A bad sign? I really had no idea. I got an email the next day telling me I'd made it to the next round, a writing test. English Major, writing is my jam! I was pumped. A week later I got an email saying they'd received my writing samples, and they'd be in touch soon. About two weeks later (not my definition of soon) I was told the position had been filled. I was absolutely crushed.

So this leads to today. 200 applications. 4(ish) interviews. No job.

Welcome

I just submitted my 200th application and decided I should do something to celebrate this sad little "accomplishment." My friend suggested that I blog about my experiences trying to find a job since my recent graduation from Purdue University. Apparently, no one really wants a Professional Writing and English double  major as an employee, even with three internships on my resume. So here are my musings of my accomplishments (few) and frustrating disappointments (many) involved in my quest to become a contributing member of society. Welcome to my vagabondage to vocation.